The 20-year PPAs are tied to 30 MW of solar capacity from JEMPEC and 40 MW from Make A Difference LLC. Both plants will be connected to the City’s grid in Atlantis. They were awarded in a competitive bidding process for up to 200 MW.Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced the signings today, saying that Cape Town has now become the first South African city to reduce Eskom reliance by buying power on the open market. According to him, the City will be saving between 19% and 21% on power purchases compared to current Eskom rates. Price increases on these contracts will be linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rather than unpredictable Eskom hikes.“Families cannot be expected to absorb endless Eskom price increases forever – that’s why we are working to end reliance on expensive Eskom power to make electricity more affordable for Capetonians. We are pleased to have sealed the first two power purchase agreements with solar plants here in Cape Town – a first for any South African city - with plans to buy up to 700 MW of independent power over time,” the major stated.During the current municipal term, Cape Town has also completed the first own-built solar-plus-storage plant in Atlantis, with 7 MW of solar generation and 10 MWh of battery storage. It has plans for more such projects and refurbishments of existing plants.